New Dog on Marigold Ct

"Goldie", short for Marigold (Larry's great idea) is my new dog. I got her from the Human Society. She and her new born puppies were dumped there and when I went in this Saturday she had just weened her pups. I asked if they had any female, short hair, 40 lbs or less dogs and was shown this one. We seemed to click - so I paid my 85 $ donation and then proceeded to spend 200 $ more at our local Pet Store. She seems really sweet and smart - so far.... They guess she is about 2 years old and she appears to have a little Jack Russell in her blood along with something else. The something else probably has helped calm her down a little. She has let me sleep thru the last 2 nights and seemed to do ok being alone for the day when I went to work. Larry and Davis helped escape proof the 2 front gates so she will spend her days outside and sleeping on the back screened in porch (she already figured out how to use the doggy door). I really like having a dog here.

Cruising on the Nile

While watching the scenery pass you by, you notice that the Egyptians make the most from the Nile. It is green with agriculture for a certain distance from the Nile, (2 blocks to 2 miles) then nothing. Dry, tan, devoid of all obvious life and a little foreboding.

Beggar Nile Style

This boy using a thrown away door and pieces of wood for paddles was begging from us as we were on our felucca boat ride. Aladdin talked most of us into not giving him anything by reminding us that he should have been in school. The kid was probably making a really good living.

Whirling Dervish

We saw these dancers a couple of times on boats and at restaurants.
The below link is a pretty good example of what we saw. I felt like throwing up just watching them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbAaQCULBYo

Disembarking

We are disembarking to see one of the many temples that had been moved to higher ground on Aswan Lake. Did you notice that the sailors are holding a pole as handrails for the passengers. You need to be surefooted in Egypt.

Another Amazing Feat

Abu Simbel - It is amazing that they were able to move such a large structure from the rising waters of Aswan Lake in just 4 years. I think that moving the structure in the 1960's sort of impressed me more than the original structure would have. We had already started to become jaded from all the other 4000 yr old sites- This was only 3000 yrs old. I think that is what strikes you most when visiting Egypt - how old everything is. It is sort of hard to comprehend. It made me feel rather insignificant.

Fancy Hotel Cooks

Even though the hotel was a 4 star they still hired 2 women to sit outside and cook pita bread in an outdoor oven. I am sure it was a very hot job but the bread and the different humus spreads were delicious. We ended up substituting the pita bread appetizers for a meal twice while we were in Cairo.